Lamp-btob inserting and removing device



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,658,017

. H. D. GRINNELL LAMP BULB INSER'IING AND REMOVING DEVICE Filed July 22, 1924 A In 1o MW" /7 Irv/72871302".- HazvgZdll (i /1321200 ZZ. 389% ,W 7

Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

"UNIT-ED- STAT I 1,658,017 s PATENT OFFICE.

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LAMP-BULB INSERTING AND REMOVING DEVIGE.

Application filed iTuly 22, 1924. Serial No. 727,592.

I This invention relates to apparatus for inserting and removing incandescent lamp bulbs and similar devices and its. aim is to r preventing bulbs.

provide simple and efiicientmeans for reaching to remote and otherwise inaccessible or difiicult places for exerting removing and inserting pressures upon the bulbs and for accidental dropping of said s of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the open end of the device; and

Fig. f is a detail side elevation of the casing supporting socket.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I have provided a substantially frusto conical casing 1 herein composed of a tough, flexible but substantially inexpansible material capable of conforming to the contour of a bulb or other object that is to be inserted therein. The flexibility and conical formation of the casing cooperate to permit it, under very slight pressure, to produce a gripping or clutching action upon .1 the bulb herein shown at 2 sufficient, upon the rotating of said casing, to impart a like movement in one direction or the other to cause the threads 3 of the plugof said bulb either to unscrew from an electric socket or to screw into said socket. 1

Because of the tapered or flaring formation of theca-sing there is always the possibility of a bulb loosening and dropping from said casing if the latter is tipped downwardly after the bulb has been detached from the socket. Therefore means for holding the bulb within said casing regardless of its position, are provided.

In the present example I have provided, for this purpose, means for engaging a portion of said bulb of relatively small diame: ter herein, that portion intermediate of the socket and large ends of the bulb, which meansmay consist of a single circumferentially arranged expansible and contractlble elastic member such for example as a helically Wound spring 5 or, as herein shown, a series of three or more of such springs. These elastic members are normally under tension and form an encircling band nor mally of triangular formation and relatively smaller in diameter than the portion of the bulb that it is to embrace but capable of being expanded by the. insertion of the rounded end of the bulb to admit said bulb and to exert a gripping action thereon after said bulb has been properly adjusted within the casing 1. i y

Desirably the series 4 of expansible elements is supported at a slight distance beyond the open or mouth end 6 of the casing and suitable supporting means are provided for said elements herein consisting vof a plurality of arms .7, for example three, which, for convenlence, are shownas integral ex- 7 tensions of a disk 8 mounted near the closed end 9 of thecasing, said arms? being spaced from theouter face of the casing 1 toper mit more or less distortion of said casing during the fitting or conforming of the same to the bulb upon the insertion of the bulb therein or upon the fitting of the easing over a bulb.

The. outer ends of said arms are preferably perforated at 7 to receive the ends of the helical springs 5, the ends of two of such springs being received in each perforation, thus completing the circumferential triangular arrangement of resilient elements, and insuring the direct contact of said springs with said bulb at a point substantially, mid- Way between said supporting arms, saidv supporting arms being spacedfar enough apartso as never to come in contact withsaid bulb. The tension of the springs 5 is sufficient to retain the bulb 2 within the casing 1 when said bulb is detat hed from its socket although said tension is suflicient- 1y resilient to allow the bulb to be easily inserted and withdrawn from the casing.

It is within the scope and purpose of the invention to provide suitable and appropriate means for attaching the casing 1 to to provide latching means of a suitable and convenient character such as a push button 14 slidably arranged in a suitable casing 15 disposed transversely of the ferrule 13. The

' push button 14 is preferably shouldered attance beyond the shoulder 16 through a suitable opening 18 in the ferrule 13 and a similar' opening 19 in said socket, to permit depression thereof from the exterior when it is desired to disconnect the socket 10 from the actuator 11.

'Obviously the socket 10 may be attached to its casing in many ways but I prefer to provide tongues 20 herein two, formed integral with and at one end of said socket and extending in a longitudinal direction therefrom through appropriate perforations 21 in the closed end 9 of the casing. To reinforce the closed end 9 which is of relatively thin material like the walls of the casing, a washer 22 is placed againstthe inside face of said end wall having perforations registering with the perforations 21 in said end wall. The disk 8 is also arranged against the outer face of said end wall and similarly perforated to receive said tongues;

said tongues being clinched upon the inside of the casing against the inner face of the reinforcing plate 22, firmly securing the washer 22, end 9 and disk 8 against the end of said socket 10.

It should be understood that the casing 1 of the invention may be varied in size to fit various sizes of lamp bulbs or other devices of a similar nature adapted to be inserted or removed from sockets or plugs or similar instruments and furthermore that the inven,' tion is capable of being used either singly or with one or more other like devices. Also that the number of elements 5 and the supporting arms whicheonstitute means for V fholding the bulb within the friction memher or casing 1 may be increased or diminished as desiredvvithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

7 "While I have herein shown and described merely for illustrative purposes, certain eu'u bediments of my invention, it is to be dis tinctly understood that numerous modifications may be made in the form and details of the device herein shown without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a casing having flexible, relatively inexpensible side walls for receiving; and rotating an incandescent lamp bulb, said casing having an integral end closing wall, an art-uator receiving socket, a reinforcing plate arranged adjacent to the inner face of said end closing wall, and means extending from said socket through said end closing wall and reinforcing plate for securing said members together.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing having ttiexible side walls for receiving and frictioually rotating an incandescent lamp bulb. casing supporting means arranged at one end of said casing a circumferentially arranged QXPlllSlbl-t resilient member disposed adjacent to the other end of said casing to yieldiugly retain a bulb therein and a plurality of arms extending from said casing supporting means outside of and spaced from said casing to support said resilientmember, at least at three points outside of the range of said bulb.

3. In a device of the character described. a casing having integral side 'alls and base formed of thin, flexible sheet materiah a reinforcing member adjacent the inner and outer faces respectively of said base a socket provided with integral tongues at one end extending through said base and said reinforcing members for securing said members together, a series of arms formed integrally with the reinforcin member adjacent the outer face of said base and extending to the open end of the casing, and extensible means stretched between said arms and forming a triangular gripping n'iernliaer for restraining the bulb in said casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 

